One Second in Baseball Brought To You By The Cloud

Major League Baseball fans are voracious consumers of baseball data. It’s important for MLB to be live and available 24/7, 365 days a year – not just on opening day.

And because fans have been obsessed with statistics for as long as the sport has existed, it’s no surprise that the intersection of Big Data, mobility and cloud has begun to transform every aspect of the sport.

As discussed in Rick Smolan’s The Human Face of Big Data, the amount of data being captured during one moment of a game today is greater than that from the entire season only a few years ago.

Thanks to the work of MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) and technologies such as PITCH/fx, gigabytes of data that capture each moment of every game in stadiums around the country are being shared with broadcasters, stadium operators and viewers at home, all in real-time through the cloud. While the game has continued to evolve on the field, it has rapidly been changing off the field. Ballparks around the country have been installing Cisco Connected Sports solutions , which impact everything from safety and security to live video on mobile devices. Beyond baseball, Cisco has been transforming the fan experience in more than 200 venues in more than 30 countries.

As the Internet of Everything (IoE) connects more people, process, data, and things, the future of baseball is sure to generate more networked connections to reveal valuable insights. The possibilities for connections are limitless: connected fields, baseballs, bats, player uniforms, and more will not only generate more data but also provide more possibilities for analysis. Imagine what the world of sports will be like when connected baseballs can report back whether a ball was fair or foul!

Here’s a closer look at how Big Data, cloud and the Internet of Everything will enhance America’s favorite game.

Connected Athletes and the Cloud

There are endless possibilities that can happen when you connect the unconnected – and that’s especially true in the world of sports. By adding network intelligence, convergence, orchestration, and analytics with a secure connection between devices – and connected athletes – the Internet of Everything promises to deliver powerful insights about athlete performance. An essential part of delivering these insights is through the cloud.

Today, embedded sensors in jerseys or wearable devices such as MiCoach are providing coaches, competitors and fans with real-time analytics about the players. From batting positions, swings, or running patterns, this information is delivered through the cloud – providing a clear picture of how athletes are performing. It’s clear that through these advances, coupled with cloud technology, those on and off the field will have the ability to make better and more-orchestrated decisions based on this new data.

The Connected Fan Experience

This surge in real-time data through the cloud is enhancing the fan experience. According to a recent CIO article, the increase in the amount of data is translating to more statistics and a better view of fans’ favorite players. The article points to an increase in “more resources for analytics” buffs including websites dedicated to this real-time, high-volume data.

In addition to tracking statistics, sports fans are benefiting from connected stadium technology. For example, Cisco has partnered with the MLB Network to improve the game and the fan experience in the stadium using Cisco technology.

Cisco provides network infrastructure for MLB, allowing them to be the central hub for all 30 clubs to provide HD video. According to the MLB, Cisco gives them the ability to move vast amounts of data, both video and true baseball statistical data, as well as content through their network. With the Cisco solution, MLB provides the reliability and scalability that the fans demand, anywhere and in any place. Cisco’s vision is tightly aligned with Major League Baseball’s, and the cloud will continue to make the vision possible.

Today, more than 99% of our world is not connected to the Internet. But as more people, processes, data, and things come “online,” raw data will no longer be reported. Instead, connected athletes, stadiums and fans will send higher-level information in real-time to enable further evaluation and decision-making. With the help of the cloud, one-second decisions will separate the winners from the losers.

Let’s play ball! Share your thoughts on how the cloud is impacting the game of baseball, both today and in the future. Be sure to follow @CiscoCloud Twitter and join the conversation, #CiscoCloud.

Additional Resources:

Major League Baseball Media Entertains and Informs Fans. Learn more about how MLB Advanced Media uses Cisco Unified Fabric Deployment in leading edge architecture for baseball fans. (video 4:06 min)

Nice story. So much exciting work happening in sports technology today. Not just collecting data, but also giving athletes and coaches high value tools they can use during training and competition.
Cheers,
Graham
insightreplay.com

I wonder how much the ballparks will start to hurt because of all the technology. It's beginning to be a much better experience at home that at the game. You have live replays at every angle, interviews with managers and players.
Thanks for the great article!

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